1. Why might Christianity have benefited from the push towards modernization and economic
growth and eventually democracy?
2. What did churches offer that might have attracted followers during this time of tremendous
change in South Korea? SHINTOISMGroup 5
How did the folktale enable your group to understand Korean culture?
List three things that surprised your group in reading the Korean folktale.
Compare and contrast the Korean folk tale to one in any other nation.
What role do folktales play in all cultures?
QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSIS
In Han Fei's ideal state what is the supreme governing authority, the will of the ruler or the law? The supreme governing authority should praise the right and punish the wrong. Make the law definite so that no one could dare defy it, and let no one escape from the punishment. The ruler of the law should uphold respect for chastisement and commendation both, because one without the other would create an unbalanced and corrupt society. The only way to be a good ruler is to correct the ways of the people to the best fit, and to do that, punishment is the best option.
What are the "Two Handles" and how important are they to a legalist state? Why must the sovereign never surrender control over the two handles? The two handles are chastisement and commendation, chastisement is important because when someone is wrong that form of punishment is best effective to correct their mistakes, and when someone does well, commendation will encourage them not to commit that act again. The ruler must never surrender control over the two handles because if he lets another do his job, respect for him will die out.
What roles do individuality and private initiative play in Han Fei's ideal state?
Why do you think Legalism appealed to some people? It might have appealed to others because it is a fair and just system. No one will receive more punishment because they are poor, or more commendation because they are rich, or privileged, and everything is equal.
Imagine a series of conversations among a Daoist, a Confucian, and a Legalist. How would each respond on the following issues: What is the purpose of good government? What role does morality play in formulating law? What are the qualities of a superior ruler? The proposition "Might makes right." A Daoist would most likely say a good government is to help the people learn their own ways of life by being a support system behind, but not directly interfering with their lives, their laws would be formed by their beliefs, and the qualities of a superior ruler would be one who would lead them to teach them how to live. A Confucian would say that the purpose of a good government is to teach them about the way, to hold them responsible for their teachings. They would say that morality does have a role in forumlating the law and the qualities of a superior ruler is one who could set a good example for their beliefs. And finally, a Legalist would say that the purpose of a good government is to keep them from going astray, correcting them when they are wrong, morality is a huge fundamental role in formulating laws and the qualities of a superior ruler would be one who can utilize chastisement and commendation to their benefit
Tao of Pooh "Spelling Tuesday"
= Summary:
Hoffman begins by illustrating that most scholars in China were Confucianists and solved things differently than Taoists. The Taoists believed that the Confucianists cannot judge their analytical and intellect because they have different beliefs and customs. In the west, Taoism is represented by the scholarly owl full of knowledge. However, this did not fully represent Taoist ideals and principles. Taoists believe that the Confucianists is one who learns merely for the sake of learning. Scholars are accused of using bigger words to confuse us, to guard us from understanding to maintain a superior attitude. The knowledge that comes from experience is more important than the knowledge that doesn’t. There is more to knowing that to just be correct. Struggling like a scholar over insignificant matters is useless and it is implied that the Confucianists think that way. Scholars are portrayed as useless and dumb because they don’t realize that there is more to life than just KNOWING, they miss the fact that LIVING is more important. Tao brings up a logical point that knowledge is useless without the experience that comes from knowledge, which is an entirely different way of learning in itself.
He regards those Confucianist scholars as people who lack the most important knowledge of all; the knowledge to live life to the fullest and to experience life around oneself, rather than to study and read about it. The next point that he makes is that he connects the Scholar to the wise owl in Winnie the Pooh as one who merely talks of his beliefs and philosophies, but never shows examples. Hoffman also states that scholars do not experience the precious knowledge that they boast about, and have never applied it to their daily lives. There is much more to knowing something than to be correct about it, and that is applied in a poem:
A scholar named Wang Laughed at my poems. The accents are wrong, He said, Too many beats; The meter is poor, The wording is impulsive.
I laugh at his poems, And he laughs at mine, They read like The words of a blind man Describing the sun.
This poem reiterates Hoffman's main points that though the scholar pointed out all of the mechanical errors in the poem that the man wrote, and corrected every grammatical mistake, the man pointed out the flaws of the scholar's poem, which was merely the fact that he could not explain something in words a phenomenon that he had not yet experienced.
Hoffman says that scholars are useful in their own way with knowledge and the information that are in their heads, but that's not all that life is about, and it's about living it fully.
He backs up this argument with an example about Eeyore the donkey. Eeyore has put three sticks on the ground in a formation of an "A", and he explains to Piglet that only the "learned" and "educated" will see that the three sticks in the ground form an A. He rudely comments that Piglet and Pooh are not educated because they do not see the A in the ground. Then Rabbit comes around and Eeyore asks him what he sees on the ground and Rabbit responds, "Three sticks," which might have proved Eeyore's point because Rabbit is not educated. But just after that, he responds correctly that the three sticks form an A in the ground, and Eeyore realizes all that he thought about education and knowledge is useless and stupid because if Rabbit can understand, above all people, then clearly something is wrong with his perception of intelligence.
Thematic Analysis:
“... you can’t help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn’t spell it right; but spelling isn’t everything. There are days when spelling tuesday doesn’t even count” (Hoffman 27).
What does this quote signify? Why would a person respect someone who can’t even spell TUESDAY right? Why is spelling not everything? Obviously, if a person misspells a simple word like tuesday they definitely have not been brought up with proper education. . . . Or is that the way that society has shaped us to think? Hoffman’s chapter of ‘Spelling Tuesday’ teaches us that there is much more to life than just learning facts and big words and worldly knowledge.
The “Scholarly Owl” in Winnie the Pooh is known to be wise, to be intellectual and knowledgeable, but to sit in his tree and do nothing about the knowledge that he preaches. “Rather than learn from Taoist teachers and from direct experience, he learns intellectually and indirectly, from books” (Hoffman 26). Confucianist scholars are represented by this owl because similarly, the scholars are merely interested in learning about life, rather than living it. It is important to be knowledgable, but without using that knowledge to its full potential, it is useless.
"The Confucianist, Desiccated Scholar is one who studies Knowledge for the sake of Knowledge, and who keeps what he learns to himself or to his own small group, writing pompous and pretentious papers that no one else can understand, rather than working for the enlightenment of others. How's that?" (Hoffman 26).
This quote underlies the fact that Tao thought that those who follow Confucius are confused about the true job of a dedicated scholar. He criticizes them on the fact that they talk in sophisticated language that others have no possibility of understanding, merely to keep themselves elevated in status above the rest of the society. Almost as if to make sure that they are more highly regarded than the rest of the population, and that their so called "knowledge" is respectable, even if they have no idea about the bigger pictures in life. What they should be doing is educating others, enlightening them, and teaching them with the knowledge that they know, and Tao states the importance of passing down that knowledge, rather than keeping it to themselves. To study knowledge to merely keep it for oneself is the most selfish act one can commit and we should only seek to gain knowledge for the experience.
Hoffman creates an almost sarcastic tone when he reiterates the philosophy that Confucianist scholars base their beliefs on, such as when he states, “We wonder why the scholars don’t think much of it. [Today being the favorite day] Perhaps it’s because they Confuse themselves thinking about other days so much” (Hoffman 28). Again Hoffman attacks the scholars for lacking an understanding and enjoyment of life itself, instead of cramming their brains with more information that is useless to them in the long run.
The most important point that Hoffman makes is that “Knowledge and Experience do not necessarily speak the same language. But isn’t the knowledge that comes from experience more valuable than the knowledge that doesn’t?” (Hoffman 29). His main focus is to criticize Confucianist scholars for delving too deeply into meaningless knowledge, to confuse others with difficult language to restrain others from understanding, and to miss the joy of experiencing what one knows in real life. Hoffman proves his point in one sentence, “In other words, you might say that there is more to Knowing than just being correct” (Hoffman 29). And these words are indeed true, because being a nerd who knows everything about everything will not guarantee one friends, or happiness, or guarantee a firm understanding of the joys that life gives, and the nature of a purer existence.
“Spelling Tuesday’s” entire theme merely criticizes the scholars for their lack of experience, the experience of feeling the world beyond their books. Hoffman states that they would not understand the process of life, or of nature, as “Living, growing things are beyond them, it seems” (Hoffman 31). And this is true, because no matter how one studies the way a plant grows, the processes, the reactions and the budding of new cells, one cannot truly understand it fully if they have not seen a plant grow, if they have not experienced the action actually occur. By simply reading books and cramming knowledge into their brains, they miss the experience of living to their full potential, and end up missing important things around them. This can also be directed towards a society like that of South Korea's, where the hype for studying is increasingly growing, to the point of student suicides.
Just the same, Hoffman rebukes any scholar for being dull and boring and insignificant, and literally not fun because they are too stuck up in their own superficial worlds of knowledge. Scholars do provide lots of information and facts, but “It’s just that there is Something More, and that Something More is what life is really all about” (Hoffman 31). And that “Something More” is enjoyment, is understanding, is fun, is freedom, is experiencing all of the opportunities that life gives us instead of being confined to purely head knowledge.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is the main difference between Taoism and Confucianism? (According to this chapter)
2. Is knowing knowledge for the sake of knowledge important?
3. Is experience and empirical knowledge important? (Taoism)
4. Currently, which education do we value more? (Korea)
5. Is it possible to embrace both types of principles?
6. Do you agree with Tao when he mentions that scholars lack experience and are narrow-minded
Bibliograpy:
Hoffman, Benjamin. The Tao of Pooh. London: Penguin Books, 1983. Print.
The similarities between philosophy and religion include the desire to change other's opinions to their own concepts and a mutual ideology. Though they are different in many ways, there is a consensual understanding that knowledge is to be shared with other people, and that these "teachings" could benefit others' lives as well. They both seek to teach, and they all revolve around some greater understanding that others do not know of.
It is important to learn about other religions and ideologies because it can open one's eyes to another point of view, another perspective, and can change a person's entire life. Learning about another country's religion will also help one delve deeper into the culture, their morals, and their lifestyles, because much of that is inspired and influenced by the religion that they believe in, or by the philosophy that they live by.
A man who respects his family above all else is highly regarded and will be able to follow the right path to life. He will grow with humanity and will grow to be a righteous man. Though one's mother or father orders something irresponsible or unreasonable, he must listen, and must not complain, because family is above all else. Young men should be earnest and respectful to their elders and faithful to what their elders say. Always have an attitude of reverence to those older than you, and to those in your family. Not only must you support your family members when they age, and your elders, you must also respect them, or they are no different from the sheep and cattle that you raise.
QUOTE:
The Duke of She told Confucius, "In my country there is an upright man named Kung. When his father stole a sheep, he bore witness against him." Confucius said, "The upright men in my community are different from this. The father conceals the misconduct of the son and the son conceals the misconduct of the father. Uprightness is to be found in this."
It means that even though in other countries to do what is right is an important aspect of society, but in Confucius, even if your father or mother screw up, a righteous and filial son should conceal the screw up and take the side of family no matter the circumstance or cost. It just goes to show how much Confucius truly did revere filial piety (utmost family devotion)
Why does the author choose a butterfly? The author chose a butterfly because the butterfly is always changing, it makes a life-changing change when it is "ugly" to become a beautiful work of nature, and we are like that of a butterfly. We are who we are today, and through change we become different people. Through this change life is forever changing and nothing is for forever.
What is the importance of the water cycle? The importance of the water cycle is forever changing in an endless circle and cycle, and it goes on forever. It changes and it means that we as humans must change ourselves to further our development in this world and that by constantly changing and correcting ourselves we will be able to recycle all of our knowledge and man can be kind.
What is the point about the 'man raising melons'? Man is a farmer, man works hard to gain what he has in life, and hard work and adversity may lead to success. Whatever possessions that you may have, they may all come and go when the time comes, life constantly vacillates.
What is the author attempting to convey to the reader? The author is trying to convey that all people go through the process of change that change is constant and that one should embrace the change that is continuously occurring and one should live life to the fullest while the time is right.
B Chin Christina Ancient History Unit III
1. Why might Christianity have benefited from the push towards modernization and economic
growth and eventually democracy?
2. What did churches offer that might have attracted followers during this time of tremendous
change in South Korea?
SHINTOISMGroup 5
Shintoism Assignment
Document 5
- How did the folktale enable your group to understand Korean culture?
- List three things that surprised your group in reading the Korean folktale.
- Compare and contrast the Korean folk tale to one in any other nation.
- What role do folktales play in all cultures?
QUESTIONS FOR ANALYSISTao of Pooh "Spelling Tuesday"
=
Summary:
Hoffman begins by illustrating that most scholars in China were Confucianists and solved things differently than Taoists. The Taoists believed that the Confucianists cannot judge their analytical and intellect because they have different beliefs and customs. In the west, Taoism is represented by the scholarly owl full of knowledge. However, this did not fully represent Taoist ideals and principles. Taoists believe that the Confucianists is one who learns merely for the sake of learning. Scholars are accused of using bigger words to confuse us, to guard us from understanding to maintain a superior attitude. The knowledge that comes from experience is more important than the knowledge that doesn’t. There is more to knowing that to just be correct. Struggling like a scholar over insignificant matters is useless and it is implied that the Confucianists think that way. Scholars are portrayed as useless and dumb because they don’t realize that there is more to life than just KNOWING, they miss the fact that LIVING is more important. Tao brings up a logical point that knowledge is useless without the experience that comes from knowledge, which is an entirely different way of learning in itself.
He regards those Confucianist scholars as people who lack the most important knowledge of all; the knowledge to live life to the fullest and to experience life around oneself, rather than to study and read about it. The next point that he makes is that he connects the Scholar to the wise owl in Winnie the Pooh as one who merely talks of his beliefs and philosophies, but never shows examples. Hoffman also states that scholars do not experience the precious knowledge that they boast about, and have never applied it to their daily lives. There is much more to knowing something than to be correct about it, and that is applied in a poem:
A scholar named Wang
Laughed at my poems.
The accents are wrong,
He said,
Too many beats;
The meter is poor,
The wording is impulsive.
I laugh at his poems,
And he laughs at mine,
They read like
The words of a blind man
Describing the sun.
This poem reiterates Hoffman's main points that though the scholar pointed out all of the mechanical errors in the poem that the man wrote, and corrected every grammatical mistake, the man pointed out the flaws of the scholar's poem, which was merely the fact that he could not explain something in words a phenomenon that he had not yet experienced.
Hoffman says that scholars are useful in their own way with knowledge and the information that are in their heads, but that's not all that life is about, and it's about living it fully.
He backs up this argument with an example about Eeyore the donkey. Eeyore has put three sticks on the ground in a formation of an "A", and he explains to Piglet that only the "learned" and "educated" will see that the three sticks in the ground form an A. He rudely comments that Piglet and Pooh are not educated because they do not see the A in the ground. Then Rabbit comes around and Eeyore asks him what he sees on the ground and Rabbit responds, "Three sticks," which might have proved Eeyore's point because Rabbit is not educated. But just after that, he responds correctly that the three sticks form an A in the ground, and Eeyore realizes all that he thought about education and knowledge is useless and stupid because if Rabbit can understand, above all people, then clearly something is wrong with his perception of intelligence.
Thematic Analysis:
What does this quote signify? Why would a person respect someone who can’t even spell TUESDAY right? Why is spelling not everything? Obviously, if a person misspells a simple word like tuesday they definitely have not been brought up with proper education. . . . Or is that the way that society has shaped us to think? Hoffman’s chapter of ‘Spelling Tuesday’ teaches us that there is much more to life than just learning facts and big words and worldly knowledge.
The “Scholarly Owl” in Winnie the Pooh is known to be wise, to be intellectual and knowledgeable, but to sit in his tree and do nothing about the knowledge that he preaches. “Rather than learn from Taoist teachers and from direct experience, he learns intellectually and indirectly, from books” (Hoffman 26). Confucianist scholars are represented by this owl because similarly, the scholars are merely interested in learning about life, rather than living it. It is important to be knowledgable, but without using that knowledge to its full potential, it is useless.
"The Confucianist, Desiccated Scholar is one who studies Knowledge for the sake of Knowledge, and who keeps what he learns to himself or to his own small group, writing pompous and pretentious papers that no one else can understand, rather than working for the enlightenment of others. How's that?" (Hoffman 26).
This quote underlies the fact that Tao thought that those who follow Confucius are confused about the true job of a dedicated scholar. He criticizes them on the fact that they talk in sophisticated language that others have no possibility of understanding, merely to keep themselves elevated in status above the rest of the society. Almost as if to make sure that they are more highly regarded than the rest of the population, and that their so called "knowledge" is respectable, even if they have no idea about the bigger pictures in life. What they should be doing is educating others, enlightening them, and teaching them with the knowledge that they know, and Tao states the importance of passing down that knowledge, rather than keeping it to themselves. To study knowledge to merely keep it for oneself is the most selfish act one can commit and we should only seek to gain knowledge for the experience.
Hoffman creates an almost sarcastic tone when he reiterates the philosophy that Confucianist scholars base their beliefs on, such as when he states, “We wonder why the scholars don’t think much of it. [Today being the favorite day] Perhaps it’s because they Confuse themselves thinking about other days so much” (Hoffman 28). Again Hoffman attacks the scholars for lacking an understanding and enjoyment of life itself, instead of cramming their brains with more information that is useless to them in the long run.
The most important point that Hoffman makes is that “Knowledge and Experience do not necessarily speak the same language. But isn’t the knowledge that comes from experience more valuable than the knowledge that doesn’t?” (Hoffman 29). His main focus is to criticize Confucianist scholars for delving too deeply into meaningless knowledge, to confuse others with difficult language to restrain others from understanding, and to miss the joy of experiencing what one knows in real life. Hoffman proves his point in one sentence, “In other words, you might say that there is more to Knowing than just being correct” (Hoffman 29). And these words are indeed true, because being a nerd who knows everything about everything will not guarantee one friends, or happiness, or guarantee a firm understanding of the joys that life gives, and the nature of a purer existence.
“Spelling Tuesday’s” entire theme merely criticizes the scholars for their lack of experience, the experience of feeling the world beyond their books. Hoffman states that they would not understand the process of life, or of nature, as “Living, growing things are beyond them, it seems” (Hoffman 31). And this is true, because no matter how one studies the way a plant grows, the processes, the reactions and the budding of new cells, one cannot truly understand it fully if they have not seen a plant grow, if they have not experienced the action actually occur. By simply reading books and cramming knowledge into their brains, they miss the experience of living to their full potential, and end up missing important things around them. This can also be directed towards a society like that of South Korea's, where the hype for studying is increasingly growing, to the point of student suicides.
Just the same, Hoffman rebukes any scholar for being dull and boring and insignificant, and literally not fun because they are too stuck up in their own superficial worlds of knowledge. Scholars do provide lots of information and facts, but “It’s just that there is Something More, and that Something More is what life is really all about” (Hoffman 31). And that “Something More” is enjoyment, is understanding, is fun, is freedom, is experiencing all of the opportunities that life gives us instead of being confined to purely head knowledge.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is the main difference between Taoism and Confucianism? (According to this chapter)
2. Is knowing knowledge for the sake of knowledge important?
3. Is experience and empirical knowledge important? (Taoism)
4. Currently, which education do we value more? (Korea)
5. Is it possible to embrace both types of principles?
6. Do you agree with Tao when he mentions that scholars lack experience and are narrow-minded
Bibliograpy:
Hoffman, Benjamin. The Tao of Pooh. London: Penguin Books, 1983. Print.
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=spelling+tuesday+summary&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&biw=887&bih=617&tbm=isch&tbnid=7JrvGvy7GkSVM:&imgrefurl=https://asianstudies09.wikispaces.com/Summary%2Bfor%2BSpelling%2BTuesday&docid=bURH8gczHasxLM&itg=1&w=150&h=167&ei=99aJTvMBo_YBdTOlfgP&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=306&vpy=176&dur=1263&hovh=133&hovw=120&tx=92&ty=81&page=1&tbnh=126&tbnw=113&start=0&ndsp=12&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0
The similarities between philosophy and religion include the desire to change other's opinions to their own concepts and a mutual ideology. Though they are different in many ways, there is a consensual understanding that knowledge is to be shared with other people, and that these "teachings" could benefit others' lives as well. They both seek to teach, and they all revolve around some greater understanding that others do not know of.
It is important to learn about other religions and ideologies because it can open one's eyes to another point of view, another perspective, and can change a person's entire life. Learning about another country's religion will also help one delve deeper into the culture, their morals, and their lifestyles, because much of that is inspired and influenced by the religion that they believe in, or by the philosophy that they live by.
CHRISTINA CHIN'S RELIGION <3
CURRENT ISSUES PROJECT
CONFUCIUS HOMEWORK
CONFUCIUS/BUDDHISM CHART
CONFUCIUS SAYS
A man who respects his family above all else is highly regarded and will be able to follow the right path to life. He will grow with humanity and will grow to be a righteous man. Though one's mother or father orders something irresponsible or unreasonable, he must listen, and must not complain, because family is above all else. Young men should be earnest and respectful to their elders and faithful to what their elders say. Always have an attitude of reverence to those older than you, and to those in your family. Not only must you support your family members when they age, and your elders, you must also respect them, or they are no different from the sheep and cattle that you raise.
QUOTE:
The Duke of She told Confucius, "In my country there is an upright man named Kung. When his father stole a sheep, he bore witness against him." Confucius said, "The upright men in my community are different from this. The father conceals the misconduct of the son and the son conceals the misconduct of the father. Uprightness is to be found in this."
It means that even though in other countries to do what is right is an important aspect of society, but in Confucius, even if your father or mother screw up, a righteous and filial son should conceal the screw up and take the side of family no matter the circumstance or cost. It just goes to show how much Confucius truly did revere filial piety (utmost family devotion)
32 questions of TAO OF POOH
Discussion Questions Taoism